While studying in the U.S., it is important to maintain your F-1 student status. As an F-1 student, your primary purpose for coming to the U.S. is to complete a program of study. For more information about how to maintain your F-1 status, please review the information below.
You can find additional information about maintaining your student visa status on the US Department of Homeland Security page.
Checking in with an OIS advisor is one of the most important parts of maintaining your F-1 status. Your status will not be active until you complete your arrival check-in with OIS and OIS processes the request. New international students are REQUIRED to submit the OIS Arrival form after entering the U.S. Students transferring from another school in the U.S. to OUHSC must also complete the form.
The program start date on your I-20 is the first day of classes for the term to which you are admitted. Your SEVIS record must be registered/activated by OIS within 30 days of the program start date.
While studying in the United States, international students must:
Courses that begin in the middle of the semester will count toward your full-time enrollment only if you are enrolled in the course(s) at the beginning of the semester.
You must enroll full-time make normal progress towards completing the course of study.
| Student Status | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate students | Must complete 12 credit hours each Fall and Spring semester |
| Graduate students | Must complete 9 credit hours each Fall and Spring semester |
| Graduate students with assistantships |
|
If the summer term is your first or last semester of enrollment, you must enroll in the minimum number of required credit hours listed below. Your classes can be taken during any block of the Summer term. You must enroll in all of your required credit hours at the beginning of the Summer term.
| Student Status | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate students | Must complete 6 credit hours |
| Graduate students | Must complete 4 credit hours |
| Graduate students with assistantships | Must complete 3 credit hours |
US immigration regulations limit international students to only ONE online/distance course per semester (the equivalent of 3 credit hours) that counts toward their minimum full-time enrollment requirement.
You can take more than one online course, but only 3 credit hours of online/distance coursework will count toward your full-time enrollment requirements.
If you are enrolled in your FINAL semester, you cannot be enrolled in online courses only. You must also be enrolled in at least one in-person course on campus.
A grade of “I” (incomplete) must be resolved with your professor. Please consult your academic department for more information.
Auditing a course does NOT count toward the full-time requirement.
Withdrawal from a course at ANY point in the semester does NOT count toward the full-time requirement.
You must COMPLETE (earn a grade of A, B, C, D, or F) the required number of credit hours every Fall and Spring semester to maintain your immigration status.
To apply for concurrent enrollment (enrolling in classes at another institution in addition to OU courses), a student must be enrolled in the following number of in person credit hours at OU:
| Minimum OU in-person credit hours needed | |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate students | 9 hours |
| Graduate students | 6 hours |
| Graduate students with 0.5 FTE assistantship | 3 hours |
Please contact your OIS advisor for the Concurrent Enrollment Request Form.
US immigration regulations provide limited reasons for underenrollment; if you have a qualifying reason for being enrolled in less than the required number of hours, you must submit a completed Reduced Course Load (RCL) form to your OIS advisor.
If you have a medical reason for needing a Reduced Course Load, please contact your OIS advisor for the Medical RCL form.
During your last semester of your degree program, you must meet full-time enrollment requirements unless you have a qualifying reason to apply for a Reduced Course Load. If your final semester falls in the summer, you must meet full-time summer enrollment requirements.
US federal regulations require all F-1 and J-1 students to report any legal changes to the student's name or of any change of address, within 10 days of the change. Follow the steps below to update your address.
Passport
You must maintain a valid passport at all times.This is a requirement of your student visa status while in the U.S.
Visa
You may remain in the U.S. if your F-1 student visa expires as long as you maintain your F-1 status.
I-20
You must maintain a valid I-20 while completing your academic program. Apply for an extension of stay before your I-20 expires. It is not possible to extend the validity of this document after it has expired.
I-94
As the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) no longer issues passport stamps, you must make sure to retrieve your most recent electronic I-94 online at i94.cbp.dhs.gov every time you enter the U.S.
Students must notify OIS whenever there is a change in their academic program (for example, a change of major, a change of degree level, or an extension of stay).
Engaging in unauthorized employment is prohibited and is taken very seriously by U.S. immigration officials. Familiarize yourself with F-1 employment eligibility options and always contact OIS before accepting any offer that you are unsure of.
On campus
F-1 students in valid status may work a maximum of 20 hours per week on campus during the Fall and Spring semesters. During Spring, Summer, and Winter breaks, students may work more than 20 hours per week.
Off campus
Off-Campus employment requires authorization from OIS. Review the Employment section for more details.
You must depart the U.S. within 60 days of the I-20 expiration date or your program end date, whichever is earlier, unless you have applied for Optional Practical Training (OPT). If you are on post-completion OPT, you have a 60-day grace period following the completion date of your OPT. If you wish to extend your stay in the U.S., talk with your OIS advisor to learn more about doing one of the following:
Change your education level (e.g. bachelor’s to master’s).
Apply to change status to another visa status.
